As 2018 comes to a close, WERC would like to wish its members, partners and other industry professionals a safe and happy holiday season. As we reflect on the past year for the industry, we'd like to provide readers of WERC Weekly a look at the most accessed articles from the year. Our regular publication resumes Jan. 3.

EHS TodayFrom Feb. 8: From "Idiots on Ladders" to "Best of the Worst," unsafe practices are caught on camera every day.
With the proliferation of social media, there is no shortage of videos and photos of practices that could potentially cause serious injuries or fatalities.
A viral video shows two workers at an unknown facility blatantly misusing a forklift.READ MORE

Julie BernhardFrom May 10: If they haven’t hit your organization yet, they are on their way. Easily identified by their smartphone obsessions, tech savvy and attention deficit disorders, millennials are bombarding the recruiting offices — occupying all surrounding office and warehouse space. In fact, last year, the Census Bureau stated that a quarter of the U.S. population is now made up of 83.1 million millennials, those born between 1982 and 2000.READ MORE

Inc.From April 26: You've invested in a great hire, and perhaps they've been with you for a few years. You appreciate the loyalty and their enthusiasm for their role, and they've expressed they want to grow into a new role or take on new responsibilities. Why not? You love go-getters. But then, the truth reveals itself. No matter how much guidance, resources or one-on-one reviews you provide, they somehow just aren't very good at the job.READ MORE

Business 2 CommunityFrom March 22: Warehouse operations are the lifeline of all companies doing business in the United States and around the world.
Good warehouse management keeps products flowing efficiently through the system, which is a critical factor in serving customers and securing increasing profit margins. When warehouse operations are smooth, the entire company can rely on a reliable supply chain to prevent shortages and holdups.READ MORE

ForkliftactionFrom Aug. 9: The United States recently introduced new tariffs on a range of imports from China, including forklifts and forklift parts. Importers were warned of the measures earlier this year, but had hoped that the Trump administration would back down. Despite lobbying, the full 25 percent tariff is now in place.READ MORE

EHS TodayFrom Feb. 22: A busy loading dock is a beautiful thing for a facility manager. After all, a steady stream of deliveries and shipments coming and going means business is good. However, even the most well-trained dock workers get distracted and make mistakes that can bring business to an expensive and immediate halt. Opportunities abound for incidents to strike loading docks, leading to damaged products and broken equipment or worse, employee injuries.READ MORE

SupplyChainBrainFrom March 29: A report from DHL and Accenture bears this out. Despite all the hype surrounding blockchain today, the study's authors "believe that the logistics industry needs to leverage new technologies and embrace ways of rethinking old processes in the digital era." Referring to blockchain as "The New Internet," the report's author suggests that implementing blockchain in logistics could remove the need for intermediaries, while also verifying, recording and coordinating transactions autonomously without the need for third parties. In the process, blockchain-based supply chains would eliminate an entire layer of complexity from our global supply chains.READ MORE

Modern Materials HandlingFrom Feb. 15: Last year, Modern’s Basics Series explored the functional areas of the warehouse, from receiving to picking and shipping. This year, our Equipment Basics series will focus on equipment segments, beginning with the dock, and followed by conveyors/sortation, automated storage and automatic guided vehicles. In each story, Modern and a group of industry experts will examine the fundamental equipment elements that ensure top performance in the modern warehouse. Because the standards for performance and safety have changed dramatically in the last decade, “basics” is a relative term.READ MORE

Supply Chain DIVEFrom June 7: Facilities have implemented digital technologies into their warehouses over the last 10 years, but progress has been slow.
"Technology continues to advance at a rapid rate and implementation lags in warehousing," WERC wrote in its survey. "Today, in the warehouse of 2018 ... technologies have had only a marginal implementation for many of our respondents." The lack of warehouse management systems is particularly troubling, as a WMS can set the foundation for incorporating newer technologies.READ MORE

TG DailyFrom Feb. 1: Employees in every industry are susceptible to injury, but it’s no secret that injury rates are higher in warehouses and similar facilities. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the 10 most common causes of warehouse accidents are forklifts, hazard communication, electrical wiring methods, electrical system design, guarding floor and wall openings/holes, exits, mechanical power transmission, respiratory protection, lockout/tagout, and fires and explosions.READ MORE